Writing Letters of Support to Insurers and Surgeons

Learn about the basics of writing support letters for gender-affirming procedures.

Capacity

Capacity involves four major components:

Sample Letters

Included below are two example letters that clinicians can use as a template. Insurance companies and surgeons maybe have different requirements before they provide services. Adjust the letters as needed but continue to question if the WPATH Standards of Care are being followed and if unnecessary barriers are being put in place (ex. An insurance company requiring more than year of individual therapy for someone who has identified as TGNC for many years).

About the Guide

This introductory guide offers an array of topics that will be essential in understanding how to work with TGNC patients. It provides basic information to raise awareness of the needs of TGNC patients and how to incorporate gender-affirming care in psychiatric practices. This toolkit does not represent official APA policy, but offers a perspective from physicians that work with this community on a regular basis. The objective of this toolkit is to help a broader range of psychiatrists become familiar with best practices for treating TGNC patients. Psychiatrists can consult Resources & References section for further reading.

Disclaimer

Although TGNC patients have been treated psychiatrically, medically, and surgically for the past 100 years, standards of care regarding this patient population are still in infancy. Thus, research is still needed to develop more effective treatment.

Many experts have studied gender and sexuality throughout their careers. This toolkit represents just one view of how to work with TGNC patients, based largely on the WPATH Standards of Care. This toolkit aims to provide a progressive treatment approach that will allow clinicians to treat TGNC patients with respect and with a focus on preserving patient autonomy.

Physician Reviewed

Eric Yarbrough, M.D.
Jeremy Kidd, M.D., M.P.H.
Ranna Parekh, M.D., M.P.H.

Medical leadership for mind, brain and body.

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